Magic mixed with a dose of reality in ‘Finding Neverland’

Friday

Aug 11, 2017 at 1:12 PMAug 14, 2017 at 1:38 PM

Nancy Olesin @WickedLocalArts

BOSTON - The delightful musical “Finding Neverland” tells the tender story of how the creator of “Peter Pan” found the inspiration for his fantastical tale, about a boy who could fly and would never grow up, in the family of a young widow and her lively family.

After Wednesday’s show at the Boston Opera House, I left the theater reflecting on the imaginative stagecraft and wonderful performances, but also thinking about how the character of playwright J.M. Barrie, performed skillfully by handsome and talented Billy Harrigan Tighe (“Pippin” and “Book of Mormon”), seemed to be steered by the strong women in his life.

As the curtain opens, we’re treated to a glimpse of Peter Pan, Wendy, the pirates, the mermaid, the crocodile and all the characters from Neverland, but as quickly as we meet them, poof! they’re gone and we discover Barrie hasn’t yet invented “Peter Pan.” It’s 1903 and he’s a playwright stuck in his own success and feeling pressure by producer Charles Frohman (a great booming but endearing John Davidson, who plays Capt. James Hook, too) to write another hit.

In Kensington Gardens, London, the playwright meets a young widow, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (a captivating Christine Dwyer, who played Elphaba in “Wicked”), and her four rambunctious boys. Dwyer’s bell-like voice is simply mesmerizing. Sylvia is raising a magical-thinking family despite the entreaties of her stuffy but protective mother, Mrs. du Maurier (Broadway veteran Karen Murphy). Barrie is enchanted by the family and their imaginative fantasy lives. When he lets Sylvia peek at a draft of his latest play, she isn’t afraid to speak her mind and convinces him it’s the same old dusty story he’s written before.

Sylvia’s young sons, George, Peter, Jack and Michael (on press night played by Colin Wheeler, Connor Jameson, Turner Birthisel and Tyler Patrick Hennessy, who all play their parts in a wonderfully joyful way) are still mourning the death of their father, and the loss has hit Peter particularly hard. Barrie develops a warm relationship with them and coaxes Peter out of his shell.

But when Barrie invites the whole family to dinner, the children’s overactive imaginations and their pirate-play acting have an effect on her husband that doesn’t sit well with Barrie’s socialite wife, Mary (played by the elegant Kristine Reese). And while Sylvia insists she and Barrie are “just friends,” her mother is alarmed by her relationship with the married playwright and warns that she’ll ruin her reputation.

But Barrie’s wife, Mary, is having none of his fantasy silliness. She has an affair with the obnoxious, toupee-wearing Lord Cannan (Noah Plomgren), and when they’re discovered, she leaves her husband and doesn’t look back. We never find out why the Barries didn’t have children of their own, or why their separation, Barrie explains, “was a long time coming.” He doesn't seem a bit sad about it, and in a way we can admire Mary for leaving a relationship at a time when divorce was still scandalous.

Free now to love Sylvia and her family, Barrie revels in the children’s play and begins to incorporate their ideas of adventure into his writing. Throughout the charming story we’re treated to some insider information - like how Barrie came up with the idea for Captain Hook’s hook - that make the story of “Peter Pan” so delightful. There is much more to this story, but I don’t want to give it all away.

Diane Paulus, the artistic director at Harvard’s American Repertory Theater who also directs this show, has streamlined “Finding Neverland” since it was first performed at the ART in 2014. The musical, with book by James Graham, moves along quickly except for one or two spots in the first act.

While some themes about parental death and dying and marital discourse may be too dark for some young children, the play's other ideas, including those about using your imagination and “be who you want to be,” appeal to most of us. The best moments of fun include a great pirate ship and an ingenious hoisting of sails and rigging. "There will be no lily-livered cowards on this voyage!" Hook proclaims. The use of bright sparks twirling in a whirlwind near the ending is totally captivating.

The music, by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, is beautiful and enchanting, particularly the numbers “Believe,” “Circus of Your Mind,” and “All That Matters,” a solo by Dwyer as Sylvia. In the soaring “Stronger” the percussionist of the orchestra, conducted by Ryan Cantwell, plays what must be the most thunderous drum in Boston. The boys do a great job singing “Be what you want to be” in a charming ukulele number, “We’re All Made of Stars.” “Neverland,” in which a mournful penny whistle is played, is sweet and poignant and had my companion and me in tears: “We can sail away tonight, on a sea of pure moonlight ... In a place so far away, we’ll be young, that’s how we’ll stay."

There are no over-the-top acrobatic moments in “Finding Neverland,” but the choreography by Mia Michaels is tight, fun and entertaining. Scenic and costume design, by Scott Pask and Suttirat Anne Larlarb, respectively, as well as artful projections by Jon Driscoll and lighting by Kenneth Posner, create a lovely garden, a foggy evening with Big Ben, London Bridge and other landmarks that put us in turn-of-the-century London.

While in the past I have sometimes had difficulty hearing parts of other musicals at the Opera House, Jonathan Deans' sound design for this show was perfect, at least from my seat. On press night, Tighe’s microphone was clearly visible, and some of the actors' English accents came and went, but those are small criticisms in this outstanding and delightful show.

Nancy Olesin is the Daily News and Wicked Local arts and entertainment editor. Follow her on Twitter @WickedLocalArts or email her at nolesin@wickedlocal.com.

Community groups

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Weston Town Crier ~ 33 New York Ave., Framingham MA 01701 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service